Reviving hospitality is the key ingredient at the heart of Junction Roastery and Social Club in Redmond.

The coffee shop in the historic Patrick building opened two weeks ago to crowds of folks in downtown Redmond seeking coffee and conversation. But plans are to make it so much more.

Owners and operators Bo Olson and Mitch Thisius have been looking for the right venue to put their vision into action — bring people back together again in person, post pandemic that is.

“All of it boils down to hospitality,” said Olson. “It’s human nature to socialize, and we’ve seen over the last couple of years how pent-up people are. We want to provide a place for coming out of the pandemic, getting people back together again to socialize. It’s sort of our passion project.”

“That’s the idea of the name, Junction,” said Thisius. “We want people to experience a place where there’s a meeting of the minds, lower their guard, getting together over a cup of one of the world’s oldest beverages — coffee.”

And not just any coffee, but a specialty brew closely monitored by the baristas. (Barista training takes up to 40 hours to ensure it’s right).

Their workhorse espresso machine is a La Marzocco — handmade in Italy.

“It takes time, for one has to understand all the mechanics of how that works, but also to recognize the environment it sits in,” said Olson. “It involves knowing the humidity in the building, the actual amount of beans in the hopper, the sunlight coming in the window. It’s that precise.”

There are plans to put a roaster in the cafe, so there is fresh roasted brew every day. And the beans will be for sale, as well.

There are bakery items, salads and sandwiches too, freshly prepared at the “sister” store Niblick & Greene’s from Eagle Crest.

Bringing people back together in a social setting, sipping good coffee and munching on healthy food, is at the heart of the new Redmond coffee shop.

“We want to give guests the best possible experience,” Olsen said. “That includes the coffee, the food and the customer service.”

Thisius, 35, and Olson, 47, bring with them a wealth of restaurant and hospitality management experience.

Thisius moved to Central Oregon in 2005. He has a background in restaurants, hospitality and product developmet. He has a degree in nutrition from the Univeristy of Minnesota and is a registered clinical dietitian. He purchased the Tumalo Feed Company steakhouse in 2018, selling it in 2021. Since then, he worked for Take Two Foods and helped develop a barista blend of plant-based milk for coffee from recycled barley and spent grains from breweries.

Olson hails originally from Washington, D.C., where he had numerous hospitality gigs and attended Virginia Tech and Johnson Whales culinary school. He moved to San Diego and earned a masters in international business, planning on opening a coffee shop there and importing and exporting coffee. But his wife, Lauren was raised here in Bend, and with two children in tow, they moved to Bend about seven years ago to do the same with their own family.

Olson did a stint at opening and running two successful Bend restaurants and at the Brasada Ranch resort, but really wanted to get back to working for himself. He and his wife purchased Niblick & Greenes and use that for the food offerings at Junction.

“We really want to keep everything as local as possible,” Olson said.

“Our motto is good stuff all the time, it’s got to be the best,” Thisius said.

The Junction can seat up to 50 indoors, and there’s two patios that accommodate 50 each. So, it can hold engagement, special events, wedding parties, beer and wine tastings and other large events.

The shop anchors the east side of the art deco-style Patrick building on W. Deschutes Ave. across from the Redmond Police Department adjacent to Centennial Park. It houses several small business offices, too. The building was originally Redmond’s first hospital in the 1940s.

Now reimagined and renovated as the Junction, both Olson and Thisius believe that it will help contribute to Redmond’s downtown growth.

“We want to be a part of the fiber of this community and help make a difference,” Olson said. “The future of Redmond is just going to be up, up and up.”

Coffee is on from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. 7 days a week. For more details, see their website at www.junctionroastery.com